A Change For The Better
by Fatala
Summary: Revision has started. Wedge only thought Heavy Load, Grimlock, and Hightower could understand him. That was until he met a new friend.
1. Introduction

A Change For The Better

by Fatala

Not much changed here just some minor details, but it should fit in better with the upcoming chapters.

Introduction: Thoughts.

Wedge looked around at the battlefield where a few hours the Buildteam had been fighting the Decepticons, minus Scrouge. Thanks to the quick thinking, his stubbornness, and a streak of good luck his team and him had managed to form Landfill, defeat Ruination, and; miraculously, had gotten out of a huge oil explosion in one piece. 'That was a close one.', thought Wedge as he rubbed his singed arm. 'Almost too close.' He turned to see his teammates who were now enjoying a relaxing oil bath. They were the most important people in his life, they were friends; practically brothers. Heavy Load, Hightower, and Grimlock each was an essential part of the other but this was a normal bond that every team, combiner or not, experienced. As a combiner group they shared a very special link with one another, a bond which could never be broken no matter what came between them.

"Wedge!" Wedge turned at the call to see Heavy Load waving at him.

"Hey Wedge! You gonna stand there and rust or you gonna come and join us!", called Hightower enthusiastically. Grimlock laid back sinking farther into the relaxing pool of oil as he and the others smiled at their leader.

"If you want me you got me!", he yelled before making a big splash with a cannonball into the still hot oil. Today they had shown the Decepticons that they were not to be underestimated and had heard their place beside Team Bullet Train as one of the Autobot's top combiner squads. Things were looking good, very good indeed.

To be continued . . .


	2. Chapter 1

A Change For The Better

by Fatala

I am happy to present the new and improved first chapter! I finally fixed the errors from before and added some more details. Now I go to work on the next chapter.

Chapter 1: The Other Half

"Could you please change the radio station?", a middle aged man asked for the passenger seat of a blue car. He was in his late fifties; mostly bald on top, with what was left of his hair being a light salt and pepper color. His white striped shirt was tucked into his light grey pants, and he wore a pair of white sneakers. The young woman who was driving just smiled at her uncle's request. She was nineteen, with long brown hair; which would have reached down to the middle of her back if it wasn't up in a ponytail. She wore a light blue halter top, light tan shorts, and sandals. Her blue eyes glanced towards her uncle who was now rubbing his temples; as if suggesting that he had a headache coming on.

"Aw. Come on this station isn't that bad.", she said smiling like a cheshire cat.

"Jeanne.", he groaned.

"Fine.", she gave in changing the radio to one of the local oldies station. "There is that better?"

"Thank you.", he replied bluntly, putting his hand down. They continued to drive on in silence, except for the radio playing, until Jeanne spoke up.

"So where am I suppose to take you? This is definitely not the way to the college.", she said noting their surroundings. They had been driving for a good fifteen minutes and by now were a good distance from the city.

"Turn down this road.", her uncle directed her. So she turned her car onto a lone paved road which was devoid of street signs, there wasn't even a speed limit sign. "No it isn't. I got a call last night; it seems the computers are down at the new Research-Tech Lab. Just make another left than-"

"Oh, I know where that is.", said Jeanne interrupted him as she made the left.

"You do?", he asked raising an eyebrow in question.

"Of course. I had to run some report papers down there for Mary the other day. Here we are.", she announced as the lab came in view. It looked like any other government research lab; white walls, wire fence with armed guards at the gates. As she stopped at the gates one of the guards came out. At seeing the driver the guard smiled friendly.

"Hey Jeanne, what are you doing here on a Friday? I thought you had the day off.", the guard greeted her.

"Hi, Chuck. I do, but my uncle needed a ride. He got a call last night saying that the computers were down again.", she explained.

"Yeah, Doctor K. is expecting him. Just head over to the energy research area, you know where it is.", Chuck replied before signaling the other guard to open the gate.

"Yep, I remember. Thanks.", she said before driving through. Jeanne drove to the back side of the facility finding a parking spot far in the back.

"You know you could wait in the car.", her uncle said as they walked through the almost bleach white halls leading to the main lab.

"No way. If I had to drive you here I minds well say hi to some of the guys.", she replied as they pushed through the twin steel doors. Inside, unlike the outside, was massive. The walls were plain silver steel; the lab didn't only consist of one floor for merge research equipment and computers but went at least five levels down into the earth with another three levels going up. Some scientist milled carrying either papers or experiment samples while others where busy mixing chemicals; there was also several maintenance people hard at work. Her uncle was just about to question her statement when he heard a familiar voice.

"Robert, it's good of you to come.", Doctor K. greeted shaking his hand. "And Jeanne. I'm surprised to see you here today.", he said turning his attention to her.

"My uncle needed a ride so I decided to tag along.", she said with a smile. Just then Jeanne heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned to see a friend of hers coming over. His name was Justin; he was tall and slim with short, curly orange dyed hair and he wore a pair of black glasses. Like the rest of the people in the lab he wore a long white lab coat although it was open revealing his normal black jeans and dark blue tee shirt.

"Hey Jean. Never thought I'd see you in a place like this.", he said walked up to her.

"I could say the same about you Justin."

"My dad works here so I help him out once and awhile.", he explained before offering to show her around. Although she knew the way she took his offer since it would probable be awhile 'til her uncle finish. Justin and Jeanne knew each other from college, and since they were in the same major they usually hung out between work and college. The two continued to walk and talk as Justin lead her to the lowest level where his dad was stationed. They were almost there when Jeanne notice something out the corner of her eye. It was a strange glowing light amongst the many scientists nearby.

"What's that?", she asked curiously.

"Oh that. You remember the meteor shower last month? Well one of the scientists found this strange object in one of the meteors that was partially intact. As far as they can tell it maybe some sort of alien energy source, since it's been giving off huge amounts of energy in spades. Their still trying to find away to harness the energy inside but with little success so far. My dad's the head of the project since he knows the most about weird stuff like this."

"Amazing!", Jeanne stared in wonder at the spherical, ball of energy.

"You remind me of my dad when he first saw it himself.", he jested at seeing the awed look on her face.

"Can we take a closer look?", she asked not hearing his comment.

"Sure." With that they went down a nearby flight of stairs down towards the containment chamber. As they neared the group of scientists, one turned to see them.

"Justin! Your just in time. I need to run these test results to Dr. Karal. Could you watch everything down here 'til I get back?"

"Ok dad."

"Thanks I appreciate it.", Justin's dad thanked before rushing off.

"If he could he'd live in this lab, I swear it.", he sighed to himself. When there wasn't a joking remark from Jeanne, Justin turned to see her looking through the protective glass at the strange orb. It seemed to hover in the air over the small pedestal that was meant to support it. A strange blueish white glow seemed to surround it like a halo. The core was a dark, almost purple-blue with many small spheres of light spinning around it and inside bolts of what looked like lightening seemed to dance from one sphere to the other. Every once and a while a scientist would come to take a small sample. Strangely, when they would take a piece away the whole would regenerate itself. What was even stranger was that every time they tried to take a piece too far away from the sphere it would make a weird sparking noise and the glow would died from it. 'Odd.', Jeanne thought at seeing that.

"I don't see how you can be so into this stuff.", Justin commented looking over her shoulder.

"How can you _not_ be!" He was just about to answer when a sudden explosion shook the lab. "What was that?", Jeanne yelped, her attention tore away from the new discovery.

"Maybe Clay mixed the wrong chemicals again.", he said trying to be positive. But it was in vain when the alarms suddenly began to blare a warning sound and the lights began to flash red.

"We're under attack! Evacuate immediately!", a voice called over the speaker system.

"I guess not.", Jeanne commented quietly as the scientist began gathering what information they could carry in a desperate attempt to save their research.

Outside of the lab a large black figure watched as his Decepticons blasted their way into the research facility.

"Get in there and secure that energy source. Now!", Scourge ordered.

"Yes, sir!", Mega-Octane responded as he transformed and began tearing into the roof of the laboratory with his giant hands. Scourge's optics glowed evilly in delight at the sight of the scientist and guards fleeing in fear. 'Soon. Very soon I will have an energy source powerful enough to destroy the Autobots . . . and Megatron.' With the last thought he chuckled darkly to himself.

To be continued . . .


End file.
